The Golden State Warriors as an organization appear to be more upset about the video of Draymond Green superman punching his teammate Jordan Poole leaking than Green’s actual attack on Poole.
Draymond Green via Golden State Warriors YouTube
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Green savagely attacked Poole during a practice session last week. Video obtained by TMZ Sports appears to show Poole jawing at Green as he walks to the sidelines. Green then slowly walks back over to Poole while a coach appears to follow him.
Green then bumps his chest into Poole. Poole responds by shoving Green away. Green then throws a superman punch at Poole. After the blow connects with Poole’s face, Poole appears to crumple to the ground with Green on top of him.
Before the video leaked, the Golden State Warriors attempted to downplay the entire attack. Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers told the press, “As reported there was an altercation. The people that were reported to be in it, that’s accurate. Everybody’s fine. Jordan practiced today. Draymond didn’t.
He then added, “Look, it’s the NBA, it’s professional sports, these things happen. Nobody likes it. We don’t condone it, but it happened.”
Myers continued, “Draymond apologized to the team this morning. Jordan was there in the room. I was there in the room. The team, the coaches, the players and we heard that.”
Later in the press conference he reiterated, “Don’t like going through it, but it’s a part of the NBA, and it’s part of sports and it’s kind of where it is.”
While Myers claimed violently assaulting a teammate is just part of the NBA, it appears he doesn’t feel the same way when it comes to video of the brutal assault being leaked to the press.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports, “The Golden State Warriors are taking ‘every legal course of action’ to discover how video of Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during a scuffle at practice on Wednesday was made public.”
Ramona Shelburne Twitter
Shelburne later added, “Source told ESPN that the Warriors have been ‘aggressively investigating’ both the incident and the release of the video.”
Ramona Shelburne Twitter
Green did address the media on Saturday saying, “I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday and for that I have apologized to my team. I have apologized to Jordan and I wanted to take that a step further with the event yesterday, with the video leaking.”
“There’s a huge embarrassment that comes with that,” Green continued. “Not only for myself as I was the one that committed the action — the embarrassment that comes from me is what it is and that’s something I have to deal with — but the embarrassment Jordan has to deal with and that this team has to deal with, this organization has to deal with, but also of Jordan’s family.
“His family saw that video. His mother, his father saw that video and quite frankly if my mother saw that video I know how my mother would feel. I know what her next reaction would be and I know what her next step would be,” he said. “And so for that I apologize to his mother and his father and his family, his friends that care for him. Because that is a level of embarrassment that they have to deal with too. ”
He went on, “I apologize to this organization. We just won a Championship and in nine days, ten days there will be a ring ceremony. My family will be here. His family will be here. I’m sure they’ll be here. And quite frankly, that’s an elephant in the room. That’s something that’s weird. And on a night where it should be celebration and love — and it still will be — but there is like this dark cloud in the room and I caused that.
He reiterated, “So I apologize to his family and just what they’ve had to to deal with over the course of the last 24 to 48 hours. And I will do what I have to do to make that right.”
Draymond Green via Golden State Warriors YouTube
Green then apologized to his own family, “To my family, you know, the things that they have they’ve had to deal with. I know my wife is getting comments like, ‘He’ll beat you at home,’ and stuff like that. As if that’s the case. So I apologize to my family as well for what they had to go through.”
Next, he addressed his teammate, “And most importantly to my brothers on this team who I’ve apologized to already. But for me that is the task at hand: to rebuild trust in our locker room, to pull everything back together as it need to be pulled back together to compete and defend a championship. And although that is the least of my worries right now, it has to stay at the forefront because most importantly is [because] everybody put the work in, in order to compete for a common goal. And I can’t allow myself to be the reason that that doesn’t happen.”
“So for me it is very important that I start the process of rebuilding trust, rebuilding — I don’t necessarily think brotherhood is gone, but in a brotherhood sometimes that’s splintered and when that’s splintered you have to pull that back together. And that is splintered right now, and it’s important that I do the work to pull that back together,” he said.
Draymond Green via Golden State Warriors YouTube
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As for a motive for the attack, Green rejected theories that it has anything to do with either him or Green receiving a contract, “I’ve had reports that it’s over a contract or him getting an extension or me getting an extension. I can assure you that’s — I don’t count other people’s pockets, number one. So that’s not something I would ever start doing.
“The way that I was raised that is simply hating on another man’s situation and that’s something that you just don’t do. The one thing I can assure you that had absolutely nothing to do with anything,” he declared.
Draymond Green via Golden State Warriors YouTube
“I think for myself I was, you know, I am a very flawed human being and I think I personally know those flaws better than anyone and the work that I’ve done to correct those flaws and yet there’s still a very long way to go,” Green said. “I think that’s a constant work in process. I am a constant work in process and I will continue to do that work.”
“I think the day that took place I was in a very, very bad space mentally, dealing with some things in my personal life that I quite frankly not certain that — I can’t sit here and say like, ‘Oh you’re dealing with some things in your personal that that didn’t shorten your temper, that that didn’t change your reaction in moments. All those things are tied together, and I think that’s where you get to see the human being side of us. Where if you are dealing with something, when you step on the court it just doesn’t go away. That’s the same brain, that’s the same body that is dealing with something that’s now stepping on to that court,” Green continued.
“And as a leader of this team I needed to have a better feel for myself and just know and understand where my wick’s end was and what could possibly push me the wrong way. And quite frankly I didn’t handle that well and I failed as a leader. And in turn I failed as a man, I failed as a leader. And in turn it’s led to this and so for me personally I have to take what comes with that and deal with that and continue to better myself as a I will,” he repeated.
Draymond Green via Golden State Warriors YouTube
Green concluded saying, “I’m not one to make excuses. I own up to my mistakes. I stand on my mistakes and I stand on this one. Like I said I will do everything that I can to make this right or to right the ship and to help this team, to help Jordan, his family and move forward from there.”
What do you make of how the Golden State Warriors are allegedly reacting to the leaked video compared to how they initially reacted to Green’s violent attack on Poole before the video leaked?